Rein-guard.



No. 649,056. Patented May 8, |900.

, L. C. JAMES.

' REIN GUARD.

(Application led. Dec. 14, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES VPATENT xrrrcn.

LUTHER C. JAMES, OF GIBSON, TENNESSEE.

REIN-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 1\I .e49,o5e,y dated May s, 196e. Application iiled December 14,1899; Serial No. 7401330. (No model.)

T0 a/Z whom it may concern;

Beit known that I, LUTHER C. J AMEs,a citizen of the United States, residing at Gibson, in the county of Gibson and State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Rein- Sup'port, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to reinsupports, and has for one object to provide an improved device which may be conveniently applied to the back-strap of an ordinary form of harness, so as to prevent the reins from catching in parts thereof and under the tail of the animal. It is furthermore designed to detachably mount the device, so that it maybe changed from one set of harness to another and without changing or altering the same.

A further object is to permit of an adjustment of the support longitudinally upon the back-strap, so that the device may be properly situated upon harness of different sizes, and

also to construct the support so that it will accommodate itself to the size and shape of the back of the animal.

With these and other objects in view the presentinvention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, shown in the accompanying drawings, and particularlypointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that changes in the form, proportion, size, and minor details may be Inade within the scope of the appended claims Without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view illustrating the application and operation of the improved rein-support. Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal sectional view of a reinsupportconstructed in accordance with the present invention.

Corresponding parts in both figures of the drawings are designated by like characters of reference.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, l designates a leather or other suitably-flexible strap forming thebase ofthe support, and secured to the underside of this flexible base, midway of the opposite ends thereof, is t a short strap 2, having its opposite ends secured to the base by means of stitching 3 and having its intermediate portion bowed downwardly, so as to' form' a loop located en tirely upon the under side of the base.'

Secured to the upper side of the basel and. located at opposite sides of the loop 2 are the substantially I f-shaped hooks or fingers 4, having their flat attaching-Shanks 5 exi tending inwardly in opposite directions and secured to the base-strap by means of suitable rivets 6, the inner of which also' pass through the respective adjacent ends of the loop-strap 2, so as to form additional fasten# ingsftherefor. The upper end of each hook or finger is bowed inwardly, so as to provide an overhanging shoulder and to form a suit# able ornament or finish for the hook. The extremities of the base-strap `eXtenda 'snitL able distance beyond the respective hooks 4 and are provided with Asuitable ornamental buttons 8, which are also designed to form' Weights to hold the ends of the strap in position.

In the application of the device, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the forward end of the back-strap 9 is unbuckled or disconnected from the harness-saddle 10, and the free end of the back-strap is then inserted through the loop 2 of the support, after which the latter is moved rearwardly to the desired position upon the back-strap, and the latter is again connected to the harness-saddle. After the support has been properly located a suitable headed fastening 1l is passed through alined or corresponding perforations 12in the bascstrap l, the back strap 9, and the looped strap 2, so as to retain the support in its adjusted position and to prevent accidental longitudinal movement upon the back-strap.

Ordinarily the proper position for the device is against the forward side of the hip-strap 13; but the support may be adjusted forwardly, so as to accommodate the device to the size of the animal.

In view of the exible nature of the basestrap and of the locationof the hooks or fingers 4 at opposite sides of the intermediate loop 2 the weight of such hooks or fingers causes the base-strap to lie flat upon the back of the animal, and thereby accommodate itself to the shape and size of the horse. Moreover, the weight-buttons S also hold the extremities of the base-strap flat against the back of the animal.

IOO

In the event of a harness having a front hipstrap 14, as well as the rear strap 13, said front hip-strap is disconnected, so as to permit of the support being moved to a position between the two hip-straps, and the forward strap is then connected to the breeehing 15, as usual. When the support is thus situated between front and rear hip-straps, the de- Y taehable fastening 11 may be omitted, as the opposite hip-straps form stops which prevent accidental displacement of the support longitudinally in opposite directions npon the backstrap. The reins 16 are adapted to be lo cated between the opposite hooks or fingers 4, which latter prevent lateral separation of the reins, and thereby also prevent the reins from dropping at opposite sides of the horse and catching in parts of the harness or beneath the tail of the animal. Moreover, the reins are normally in engagement with the inner sides of the respective hooks or lingers 4 and the overhanging shoulders 7 prevent accidental upward displacement of the reins.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the present device provides an exceedingly simple and eective rein-support which adds but little to the Weight of the harness and may be conveniently applied to and removed from any common or ordinary form of harness without altering or changing the latter.

What is claimed is- 1. The combination with the back-strap of a harness, of a reilrsupport, carrying a loop slidably receiving the hack-strap, and a de- -taehable fastening passing through the loop and the back-strap.

2. A rein support, comprising a iiexible base, a strap having its opposite ends connected to the base and forming therewith an intermediate attaching-loop for the reception of' the back-strap of a harness, and rein-engaging devices located at opposite sides of the attaching-loop.

3. Arein-snpport, eomprisingabase formed from a fiexible strap of leather or like material, an intermediate looped strap secured to the under side of the flexible base and intermediate of the opposite ends thereof, a detachable fastening passing through the basestrap and the looped strap, and rein-engaging hooks or fingers secured to the upper side of the base-strap and located at opposite sides of the looped strap.

4. A rein-support, comprising a flexible base, opposite rein-engaging devices, each of which has a lateral inwardly-directed attachingshank applied to the upper side of the base, and a flexible strap applied to the nnder side of the base and between the rein-engaging devices, and the opposite ends of the strap overlapping the respective ends of the Shanks, and fastenings passing through the base and the adjacent end portions of' the respective Shanks and the strap, the intermediate portion of the strap forming a loop with the base.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

LUTHER C. JAMES. lVitnesses:

A. R. DoDsoN, F. H. MCGRANNON. 

